The RAND Report: “EU Civilian Crisis Management”

found in  Headfone Dreamy from http://yokofurusho.com

EU Civilian Crisis Management: The Record So Far

The European Public Prosecutor

According to Article 86 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the EU will get a European Public Prosecutor.

Gordon Brown and Angela Merkel attack Goldman Sachs | Business | The Guardian

A crisis gripping Goldman Sachs deepened today as Britain and Germany moved towards joining the US in pursuing a fraud investigation against the Wall Street bank for allegedly fiddling clients out of $1bn ($650m) through a misleading mortgage investment deal. Gordon Brown ordered a special investigation into Goldman, accusing the bank of “moral bankruptcy”. He threatened to block multimillion-pound bonus payouts if the firm is found guilty of wrongdoing. In Berlin, Angela Merkel‘s government said it had sought information from the US Securities and Exchange Commission with a view to evaluating “legal steps” against Goldman.

Ash postpones EU-IMF talks in Greece

Ash cloud to disrupt EU parliament session

from EUobserver.com – Headline News

The volcano crisis and the financial crisis

Are the two crises alike?  Consider the similarities.  In each, an unexpected event in a forgotten part of the system ends up having global ramifications.  The unexpected event occurs in a system that needs constant motion for its effective operation: as long as the securities/passengers can be moved on to the next stage, the system keeps functioning.  When one part of it stops working, the rest quickly breaks down.  But there?s more.

Report on Sweden?s EU Council Presidency

The Swedish government has published a report on its presidency of the Council of the European Union during the second half of 2009 (in Swedish):

Is Estonia?s Euro Membership A Done Deal?

Well, if you read this report from Euractiv, citing unnamed EU Commission officials, it is:

?If nothing extraordinary happens, the Commission will give its positive opinion for the accession of Estonia to the euro zone on 12 May,? an EU official said, clearing the way for Baltic country to join the euro in 2011.

EU Visa Code and Visa Handbook

Every year, millions of third country nationals come into contact with consular representations of the Schengen states in order to visit one or more of the 25 countries of common travel area. Some 10.4 million visas were issued in 2008.

George Papandreou on Greece’s Financial Crisis

An exclusive interview with George Papandreou, the prime minister of Greece.

Greece admits defeat in crisis

Europe’s New Politics of Fear

There is a new divide in Europe. Not an iron curtain, but an iron intolerance as politicians revert to blaming minorities for their nations’ woes. In Western Europe it is Muslims. In Eastern Europe they are Jews, Roma, and gays. In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders surged to an election victory in March on the back of anti-Muslim, anti-Quran populism. In Hungary the Fidesz Party won big in recent elections with attacks on “Jewish capital?which wants to devour the entire world.”

Europe’s airline chaos: in depth

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Aviation experts are warning that air traffic across western Europe may continue to be affected by an Icelandic volcano, which has been billowing clouds of ash and spreading it throughout the region.

Lies, Damn Lies And Statistics In Sweden (of all places).

This post is basically a follow-up to my earlier Just What Is Going On In Sweden? one, and has been stimulated by an article which appeared in Bloomberg earlier in the week, detailing a number of issues which have arisen in conjunction with the Swedish Statistical Office.

Britain’s ‘third party’ takes centre stage in election race

EU Council & transparency: A long way to go

from Julien Frisch

Second European Quality of Life Survey: Family life and work
Source: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions

Summary:

Demographic change and labour market developments impact significantly on the family life and work of Europeans, with far-reaching consequences for the future. The policy approach in this area has in recent years focused on increasing the employment rates of women, finding ways for both men and women to achieve a better work?life balance and, more recently, promoting a rise in birth rates. This report explores the subject of work and family life across Europe, looking at ways to find a better balance between the demands of work and family responsibilities. Based on data from the second European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS), conducted by Eurofound in 2007, the report analyses tensions between work demands and household and care tasks, against a background of different institutional settings, labour market structures and cultural factors. The findings point to the need for the introduction of measures to adjust working arrangements to the demands of family life, more equal sharing of care responsibilities between men and women, and the improvement of care services for elderly people in order to support family networks in carrying out their care responsibilities.